Hand-strap.



UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HAND-STRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,696, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed September 10, 1904. Serial Noi 224,009.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, URIAH MCOLINCHIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hand-Straps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that class of devices known as hand-straps and used in street and other railway cars, coaches, and public vehicles as a handhold or support for passengers who are compelled to stand; and my invention consists, essentially, in the employment of a strap bent upon itself to form upper and lower loops, one for` engagement by the passenger and the other to suspend the device from the usual hand-strap-supporting rail and a metallic holder. of greater width than the strap and positioned over the front of the latter and provided with loops at the upper and lower portions through which the members of the folded strap are passed and brought together and fastened behind the holder, said holder having also outstanding lugs on its back serving as retaining-guides for the advertising card or sheet which is removably inserted in the holder, asI will hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hand-strap embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same on the line m .fr of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a rear view.

In carrying out' my invention I form the hand-strap of any appropriate length and material, leather being preferred because of its universal use for hand-strap purposes. This strap I prefer to form from a single piece of leather suiiicientlyheavy for the 'purpose and of such length that when its ends are folded upon the intermediate portion there is produced two loops-namely an upper loop a for suspending the strap from the rail, which usually extends along the side of the upper portion of the car, and the lower loop I), which furnishes the usual handhold for the standing passenger. The ends of the returned portions of the strap are brought together and made to overlap, and said overlapping portions are then secured to each other and preferably to the intermediate portion of the strap by means ofa rivetcor other well-known form of fastening.

In connection with the strap I employ a holder B, which'in the present easel prefer to make of metal and of a substantially rectangular form, although I do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to this precise shape. This holder has the general appearance of a narrow open center frame, and its outer `face may be given such design and ornamentation as may be desired. The frame may fori the sake of economy in cost of production be cast of malleable material, and in its rear is made a recess l of sufficient depth to receive the card or sheet O, which contains the advertising matter andwhich is slipped in place endwise through the open side of the holder. The frame is also east with the inwardly-projecting lugs f on three of its sides and which lugs overhang the recess CZ and serve as retaining-guides for the card. To compensate for variations in the thickness of cards used and to secure a card in the frame or holder without danger of its accidental removal, I employ supplemental strips g or equivalent wedges which are introduced between the lugs f and the back of the card, andthereby bind the latter firmly in the recessed back portion of the frame. The frame or holder has its opposite portions also cast or made rigid with oppositelyextending rearwardly-inclined loops D, each having a centrally-located cross-bar vl dividing the loop into two openings, one for the passage of each of the portions of the folded strap. When the device is assembled as shown in Fig. 2, the cross-bai' of the upper loop will by its contact with one of the ends of the folded strap serve as a stop to prevent the frame or holder from being pulled farther down the strap. A rivet placed between the folded portions of the strap at either or both of the points indicated by dotted lines at l will answer the same purpose. The advertising matter is appropriately displayed on the card,

IOO

and this and the attractive character of the holder and the position of the saine on the hand-strap quickly draw the attention of the traveling public to the advertisement, with the consequent beneficial results.

The device as described is cheaply made and yet is highly attractive, the metal frame or holder being capable of a high finish and contrasting well with the strap. The strap itself is preferably but a single length, returned upon itself and devoid of fastening, except such as may be required to unite the meeting ends of the straps as previously de scribed. Y

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure b v Let-I ters Patent, is

l. An improved hand-strap comprising a single piece of material folded upon itself to form upper and lower loops, and a rigid frame or holder over the face of the strap and having loops through which the folded portions f comprising a frame or holder having projecting loops at opposite ends said loops each having a centrally-located cross-bar, a strap passed through said loops at one side of the cross-bars and having its ends returned and passed through the loops at the opposite side of the bars, said returned ends being brought together and united, `and a card or like member bearing advertising mattei' and contained in said frame or holder.

4. An improved hand-strap comprising a strap and a frame or holder thereon, and having loops at opposite ends for engagement with the strap, and a card or member bearing advertising matter, said frame or holder having lugs on its back projecting into the open center and serving as retaining-guides for the advertising card or member.

5. An improved hand-strap comprising a strap and a channeled frame or holder thereon and having loops at opposite ends for engagement with the strap, and a card or member bearing advertising matter, said frame or holder having a recessed back and projecting lugs forming retaining-guides for the card or member, and strips insertible between the lugs and back of the card for retaining the card lixedly in position.

ln testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

URIAH McCLlNCHIE.

Vitnesses:

GEO. F.' HAMILTON, CnAs. F. FRAIM. 

